


The Sharpest Lives

by cordeliadelayne



Category: Primeval
Genre: Conversation Happens, Gen, Introspective Stephen, Male Friendship, finally talking, it's all going to be all right
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-26
Updated: 2016-04-26
Packaged: 2018-06-04 17:29:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,070
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6667825
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cordeliadelayne/pseuds/cordeliadelayne
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nick and Stephen have a long needed talk.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Sharpest Lives

**Author's Note:**

> Set after Episode 106. Originally posted to Livejournal in 2007.

Stephen Hart slammed the front door shut behind him, headed over to his kitchen and pulled a beer out of the fridge. The anomaly was closed. Claudia Brown was back. All was right in the world.

He took a long slug of beer and then slumped into a chair, ignoring the slight twinge in his back - he was really going to have to stop saving Connor's life.

Since Helen's little revelation things had seemed to slip back to normal as they tried to understand what had gone wrong and what had happened to this Claudia woman Cutter was so obsessed with. When they'd finally fixed the problem - more of Helen's interference had ultimately been to blame - it was like a shutter had come down, separating him from the rest of the team. There had been moments when they'd been researching that Nick had turned to him to crack a joke, but then his expression had faltered as he remembered. Connor still bounced about like a lap dog but the cutting glances were a little sharper than usual. Abby was the only one who kept glaring and pouting at him - as if it were _her_ he'd cheated on.

But they managed to work well together. Or so he had thought; there was a brittleness about their interactions now that hadn't been there before.

The door bell rang and Stephen contemplated ignoring it until it was followed by knocking and a shout.

"Coming!"

He opened the door to find Nick Cutter standing before him, a bottle of whiskey in his hand.

"Can I come in?"

"Sure. I thought you were staying with Claudia tonight?"

Cutter shrugged as he walked inside. "Thought I'd stop by here first."

Stephen nodded as if that made sense and sat down, motioning for his friend to do the same, but Cutter remained standing.

"I want details."

Stephen watched him carefully, avoiding eye contact. "Details?"

"When it started. How long it lasted. If you were ever planning on telling me."

Stephen braced himself. He'd known this conversation was coming the minute Helen had looked at him, so bloody smug, saying the one thing she knew would hurt Nick the most. This was why he hadn't said anything when Helen had come back, even though there were moments when owning up had seemed like the best way. But he'd known that it wasn't the affair that would sting. It was the betrayal. He wasn't going to forget the look of disappointment on Nick's face any time soon.

"Are you in love with her?" Nick asked. Startled out of his reverie something must have shown on his face because Nick carried on as if he had replied. "That's something I suppose."

"It was only a few months, end of third year." Stephen had finally found his voice. Not that he thought that would do any good. "She broke it off."

"And all those years you never thought to bring it up? All those times we sat up drinking, coming up with theories about what had happened to her - you never once thought that I should know what you'd done?"

"I'm sorry." Cutter turned away. "I know that is nowhere near good enough..."

"Did you come to work with me to be closer to her?"

"What? _No._ I came to the Department because you're the best and I wanted to work with you. I thought we...we're friends."

Cutter sat down with a sigh and Stephen knew there wasn't anything to say that could fix this.

"I think I kept being in love with the Helen I wanted, rather than the one I had. You were right, she could be a bitch. She's manipulated us both. You at least were young and foolish."

"Young maybe. I knew what I was doing." Whatever else he didn't want Cutter to think he wasn't prepared to face the fall out.

"You seduced my wife did you?"

"Well..." It had been after a seminar discussion. He'd helped carry some of the specimens back to her office and before he knew quite what had happened she had pushed him up against the door and was kissing him. He'd always had a crush on her, more so after the trip to China where she'd encouraged him and he'd impressed her with his tracking. He'd known about Nick then, of course. Known she was married. He'd even liked Nick then. Found his sense of humour a refreshing alternative to some of the drier lecturers. But he'd spent so long working alone with Helen over the years that it just felt natural to follow through.

"She should have known better."

"I knew better," Stephen replied.

Cutter looked over at him and Stephen finally allowed him some eye contact. He didn't look angry, just weary.

"This calls for a drink." Cutter launched himself out of his seat and into the kitchen; he'd been here enough times that he could easily find where everything was. Stephen watched him with a heavy heart but only moved when Cutter handed him a glass.

"I've been thinking," Stephen began, adjusting to the burn of the whiskey down his throat, "I should resign." No response. "If you don't trust me then this won't work." Nothing. "We can't be second guessing each other." Still no movement. "Dealing with the anomalies is too important for anything personal to get in the way." Stephen risked a glance at Cutter, who was staring at him.

"You're right. This work is too important. And I know I probably shouldn't, but I do trust you." Stephen kept very still. "We'd all be dead ten times over if you hadn't been around. Don't resign. We'll manage. I lost Helen years before she disappeared. She only lashed out because..."

"Claudia kissed you," Stephen finished, allowing himself a small smile. Cutter returned it.

"Aye, she did, didn't she?"

Their conversation was interrupted by Cutter's phone ringing. He answered it and listened for a few intense minutes before hanging up.

"Another anomaly. Just outside the university grounds. No creature sighting yet but we need to get going."

As Cutter led the way Stephen allowed himself a rare moment of introspection. It wasn't going to be easy - especially not facing the others - but this was where he belonged, right back in the middle of things. And he wasn't going to let anyone ruin that. Certainly not Helen Cutter.

No matter how much he still loved her.


End file.
